Watching a Rieske Bear and Bug

9 Months!

2011-07-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

Things to know:

1. Still super smiley
2. ~~Still no teeth~~ one tooth!
3. Professional army crawler
4. Gets in trouble at least three times a day for digging in the plants
5. Loves macaroni and cheese
6. Has the whole giving raspberries thing totally figured out.
7. Loves "Dinosaur Train"
8. Sings himself to sleep in the car (and sometimes his crib)
9. Wakes up at 7 a.m., regardless what time he goes to bed.

Look at those scrumptious legs!

Busted!

2011-07-19T11:27:00.000-05:00

2011-07-18T11:23:00.000-05:00

Breakdown

2011-07-15T11:22:00.001-05:00

This week I got Sydney's school supplies list in the mail. She needs loose leaf wide ruled notebook paper. I almost lost it. WIDE RULED NOTEBOOK PAPER? What happened to the things like Playdoh? Oh yeah, she is growing up.

The Boy vs. the Ice Cream Cone

2011-06-10T10:20:00.002-05:00

He isn't crawling...

2011-06-09T10:13:00.000-05:00

But he definitely isn't staying where we put him, either.

See that blanket? He started out on top of it. (But, he needed to get his cars from the blanket to the floor in order to make them roll, so, he did.)

It is all about a boy and his cars!

Last day of Kindergarten...up next, 2nd grade!

2011-06-08T17:26:00.000-05:00

What a fun year! Syd has done great, and was actually sad that today was her last day of school. I have assured her that in two days, that sadness will go away as she is sleeping in and playing in the pool.

She has spent the last six weeks going to first grade for math and literacy. This morning we had a meeting with her acceleration team and they recommended she skip second grade. I have to admit, before the meeting David and I were both completely against the idea. But, during the meeting they told us she is testing at a 3.7 for math (third grade, seventh month) and 3.0 and 3.1 for reading (third grade and third grade, first month). The only thing holding her back in her reading is her writing fluency, but even that has drastically improved in the last six weeks. They assured us she was a quick learner and is proficient in writing for the end of first grade. Luckily, her 1st grade teacher is looping up to 2nd, so she will be moving with her. During that meeting David and I both changed our minds (and I realized my main reason for not wanting to move her up is that she will be at home for one less year.)

After the meeting, I ran over to Sonic and grabbed her lunch. She was happy to both have a Sonic meal, as well as have Mom to eat it with her. (I even got invited out on the playground.)

Here she is with Mrs. Goessens (who has been AMAZING!) We took her an end of the year gift of a TCBY gift card, along with a 12 pack of Diet Rite Zero, which she drinks everyday at lunch. She loved both.

Here is my little kindergartener, walking out a second grader!

Recital Sneak Peek

2011-06-05T21:38:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of Elle's pictures from the dress rehearsal the other night...the song is "Just Can't Wait to be King" More recital pics to come soon!

Want new recipes?

2011-06-02T08:58:00.000-05:00

Looking for new recipes? Go here and join! I'd love to have lots and lots of people contributing. The first challenge will be issued next Monday.

Go here to find out all about it:
http://mommascookingparty.blogspot.com/

Lots of fun, little pressure, and a good way to add a few calories to your day.

Hoping for answers

2011-05-02T07:22:00.009-05:00

Today we are in Kansas City.

One hospitalization in January for a kidney infection.

The day we got there (chubby baby= IV in the head)

The day we left.

And a surgery six weeks later to remove a cyst from his bladder (which got him a little bit of local attention.)

Only to come back six weeks later (which we knew might happen, but hoped it wouldn't). Poor Corbin has had a tough start. He takes antibiotics every day, and a fever for him means going straight to the ER (which we have only had to worry about once.) But, today we are at Mercy Children's Hospital in KC, hoping a pediatric urologist has some answers. Our little guy will be undergoing sedation (which made him super crabby last time) and testing. Then, on to an afternoon appointment with a doctor. We are just so grateful they got him an appointment in a mater of weeks (opposed to the months Little Rock was willing to wait.)

So, if you have a minute, all prayers on his behalf are welcome. We love this smiley little guy, and just want him to feel better for good.

Happy Birthday, Buggy!

2011-04-29T07:00:00.003-05:00

April 2008

April 2009

April 2010

April 2011

Happy 3rd birhday, Elle! Here are 36 things that make her who she is (in honor of 36 months...3 things just wasn't enough!) She:

1. Does not like being dirty. (she will change clothes if there is even a drop of water on her.)

2. Is independent. Very.

3. Wants to be a doctor when she grows up.

4. Weighs in at a whopping 26 lbs.

5. Is missing one tooth (thanks to running into a corner of the wall).

6. Loves her baby dolls.

7. Has Daddy wrapped around her little finger (she makes him lay day with her every night or she won't go to sleep.)

8. Is a Star Wars fan.

9. Loves squinkies.

10. Is a packrat. Missing something? Look in her purse/tricycle/pocket.

11. Loves Strawberries.

12. Is a big fan of her big sister.

13. Is a little OCD at times. (don't dare put something in the wrong place.)

14. Likes Diet Coke and Coke Zero. And Mounty Dew.

15. Is bossy.

16. Does not like to be called Elle Madison. Only Elle. Or Buggy. Or, Cuddlebug. (In her words.)

17. Is super clumsy. Refer to #5.

18. Is obsessed with doing things right. She asks everyday if her shoes are on the right feet.

19. Loves wearing jammies. Sometimes, that means she changes into clean ones in the morning.

20. Is terrified of bugs. She makes us kill every fly she sees.

21. Wants a new dog. One that will ride in her purse, and cuddle, and obey her.

22. Loves the song "Give Said the Little Stream" and sings it to her little brother when he cries.

23. Loves the song "Dynomite" and has a mean booty shake to go with it.

24. Has an evil cackle-laugh.

25. Likes to go places.

26. An expert at throwing some monster fits.

27. Is a chocoholic.

28. Is always the first to kneel and fold her arms for family prayer.

29. Asks to go to Nanny's whenever she is mad at Mom.

30. Is a blanket child. She has four that float around.

31. Likes being destructive. That is why we call her Stitch sometimes. But, that is not her name. (Please refer to #16)

32. Loves playing outside.

33. "cooks" in her kitchen all of the time.

34. Loves helping.

35. Is a night owl. The kid can stay up later than me most nights.

36. Loves giving hugs and needs lots of cuddling.

Now, if you made it through all of that, congratulations. Happy birthday to my favorite three year old!

Kansas City Temple!

2011-04-28T08:24:00.000-05:00

While we were in Kansas City a few weeks ago, we took a minute on our way out to drive by the Kansas City Temple that is being built. We are pretty excited! As you can tell from the pictures, it was super windy.

I love the code of conduct, and I think it is pretty amazing that everyone follows it.

These little people

2011-04-26T19:22:00.000-05:00

sure do make me smile.

The big 6 months

2011-04-21T13:02:00.000-05:00

Today marks six months since this little angel entered the world. Six months! Where did it all go?

So, in honor of six months, here are six things I am currently loving about this sweet boy.

1. His hearty belly laugh.

2. That "grumpy" days usually entail him not laughing. Yep, super easy baby.

3. His chubby thighs. (I'm pretty sure they make up a good 16 of his 20 pounds. Pic to come.)

4. That he gives me kisses all of the time. Yes, those big, wet, slobbery baby kisses. Love them!

5. He loves playing with his feet. I've always wanted a baby that lays and plays with thier feet. Check!

6. He loves me best. Yes, for once, I am the favorite parent! It only took three tries to accomplish. David assures me that this will change as soon as I am no longer the food source. We'll see - this kid just has a sweet spot for me. :)

I can't wait to see what the next six months bring!

Elleism

2011-04-14T13:11:00.000-05:00

E: Mom, you don't dance like that, you got to walk on your Ticky-toes.

Elleism

2011-04-05T09:51:00.000-05:00

When it is dark (in a room, car)

E: I can't see my eyes, I can't see my eyes!

Spring!

2011-03-11T18:19:00.002-06:00

Love this weather! Right now my girls are in the backyard playing with a neighbor. They found a key buried in the back yard that doesn't fit any of our locks, so they have decided that there is a secret house underground and they are digging for it. I think they've hit a rock, which they have decided is the secret house. Now they are searching for another neighbor, he has a spy kit and can surely figure it out. Lol. When they are 20 I'll tell them I threw out my old apartment key last week.

No one told me...

2010-12-14T15:41:00.000-06:00

How hard it is to get three children to look in the same direction and smile all at the same time!

Good thing they're cute.

Corbin's Blessing

2010-12-07T10:26:00.000-06:00

Elle is in school!

2010-12-06T10:24:00.000-06:00

Here I am, playing catch-up again. Elle started school (really Mother's Day Out, but she calls it school) in September. When I first took her she said, "Mom, this is my school. It's not for babies!"

And a baby she is not, but she does love playing with the babies - probably her favorite toy at school.

Here she is with her Daddy at open house.

Meeting her teacher.

And this picture is her actual first day of school. She is ready with her Dora backpack, Elephant lunchbox, and of course, a baby.

Pig Sooie!

2010-12-06T10:09:00.000-06:00

We took the girls tailgating in the beginning of the football season. They loved seeing all of the cheerleaders, and of course meeting the Razorback. They also got their faces painted. Of all of the Razorback options, Elle chose Elmo and proceeded to play face painting for the next two months. In her shop you could choose Elmo or a Razorback, and if you didn't choose Elmo, she would choose him for you.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-12-06T10:06:00.000-06:00

Our early October trip to McGarrah farms pumpkin patch.

Pumpkin Patch (our second round)

2010-12-06T10:04:00.000-06:00

Elle chased the goats.

Sydney thought they were stinky.

Elle gathering gourds.

And, the cow train. Daddy said it was a bit bumpy.

Frowing Up

2010-11-14T17:42:00.000-06:00

Long story, but bear with me. It is funny in the end. The day David went back to work Elle started complaining of her stomach hurting (which more often than not coincided with getting in trouble or being asked to do something she didn't want to do.) So, I figure she isn't really sick and is just wanting attention, especially since it came and went so quickly. Sunday night she woke up crying, saying her stomach hurt again. We think maybe she is telling the truth, but she seems mostly fine the next day (again, unless she was in trouble.) Tuesday morning we drop Sydney off at school and I hear Elle in the back seat "frowing up." Great. (And this is my child who doesn't do messy.) So, we stop, do the best wet wipe job we can do, and get home as quickly as possible.

Three "frow-ups," two baths, and two outfits later, we are at the doctor (poor thing threw up a again on the car-ride down), and they start checking her. A urine test (ever had to get a two-year-old to pee in a cup?) later, things look fine, but her Pediatrician is still convinced something is wrong. So, she checks her throat and says it is a little red, she'll do a strep test, and if that comes back negative we are off for x-rays and some dye tests to check for this whole list of random things that *might* be happening in her tummy. But, the strep test comes back positive and apparently in a few kids they will have stomach pains instead of their throat hurting. So, she is put some antibiotics, which of course entails a trip to Wal-Mart to pick them up along with some gator-juice. Walking through the baby section she starts "frowing up" again. And a lot. It is everywhere before either of us realize what is happening. Her clothes are soaked. Nice, huh? And remember, this is my kid who HATES being dirty. So, I send Sydney to the nearest rack for a set of jammies (and she picks Dora - Ms. Elle's favorite at the moment.) We find someone to apologize profusely to for the lovely mess we are leaving them with, and go to the bathroom to change Elle. She is pretty darn excited over new jammies.

Fast forward a few days, and Sydney is complaining of her stomach hurting. Of course, as soon as we send David off for a night out at the Razorback game, she starts puking. As soon as Elle realizes what is going on, she runs over and their conversation goes like this:

E: Sydney, you frow-up

S: Yeah, Sissy feels sick.

E: (excitedly) You frow-up you get new jammies!!

Camping...

2010-11-11T06:22:00.000-06:00

inside.

Corbin's Arrival

2010-11-10T05:03:00.005-06:00

Baby Belly

2010-11-09T10:09:00.002-06:00

36 Weeks (when I was sure I couldn't possibly get any bigger)

And the night before I had him....39 weeks, 3 days
(I must say, I was wrong. I could get bigger...a lot)

Yes, that is a basketball...my belly wins the "which is bigger" game. I guess that is what happens when a person less than 5 feet tall has a 9 pound baby.

We're cute!!

2010-11-09T09:40:00.000-06:00

My kind of camping

2010-10-08T14:15:00.000-05:00

A month or so ago we went to a charity event that included a silent auction. We came back with this- definitely a planned purchase, right? (oh, and a pony birthday party, too)

The girls have already had friends camp over (inside, in the air conditioning) but they love it!

Sydneyism

2010-09-22T09:52:00.000-05:00

S: I'm having a hard time going to sleep.

(This is at least her fourth time out of bed)

M: Go lay in bed, close your eyes, count to 200. If you are still having a hard time, come see me.

(Less than a minute later and she is back)
M: There is no way you had time to count to 200.

S: Yes I did. I counted by 10's.

First Day of Kindergarten

2010-09-02T18:17:00.000-05:00

So, I thought Sydney had a good two weeks left until school started. I was trying to come up with some really fun, exciting things to do to make her last days of summer extra special. She and I had already had a mommy/daughter date to buy her school supplies - she was pretty excited. I was pretty much dreading that day - sending my oldest off to complete strangers five days a week didn't sound so appealing.

Then we got a phone message at 4 p.m. on Wednesday the first week of August, and there was an opening in the school I'd really hoped she we get to go to, but was told that it was full. Everyone else had started on Monday. So, we asked her what she wanted to do - turns out maybe she was a little more nervous about starting school than she had let on earlier. Bring on the melt down. We were debating what to do and still hadn't decided when we put her to bed (she had dance class at 8 the next morning.) Finally, at 7:40 the next morning with the kids loaded in the car for dance and David ready for work, we decided that we wanted her at the year-round school.

I called that morning to tell them we were interested and asked when should she start. (I'm thinking at least Friday...we are on the way to dance class) and they asked if she could start that day, and if not, at the latest, Friday. So, I let her make the decision - I was worried about her making friends and missing out on all of the fun stuff happening the first week of school. Well, of course she says, "Today - if we can go get a new dress like you promised first." So, I pull off at the next interstate exit, call David and book it on over to Target (where else do you get a first day of school dress at 8 in the morning!)

She got there around 9:30, new dress, but minus a lunch (we didn't have the time or supplies to make one that quick!)

She was glad to go. Daddy was already inside starting the mountain of paperwork to get her enrolled. I'm not going to lie, 7 months pregnant and sending your oldest to school is not the best combination, especially when you have less than two hours to prepare yourself. I cried like a baby and she smiled bigger than anything when we left her at her classroom. She was excited to be "the new student" and was happy to see a friend from church in her class as well.

She is the only non-Spanish speaker at her table, but she says they are teaching her. She loves her current teacher, Mrs. Fields, but is having a little trouble with remembering not to talk during class...can you imagine that? Her regular teacher is on maternity leave, but will be back after their two week break in October. I can't believe she is growing up so fast!

Miss Ava

2010-09-01T18:16:00.007-05:00

Round two with a new cousin! The girls finally got to meet her in late July. Elle decided that just maybe Ava was more fun than a baby doll. Now, every time we see anything baby and pink in a store Elle says, "That for baby Ava."

Just maybe they are related...

What a sweet girl, we love her!

I feel pretty

2010-08-31T21:26:00.000-05:00

Sometimes a girl just needs to feel pretty.

And sometimes a little silly.

What one does, the other must, too.

And, we can't leave Daddy out.

Kansas City

2010-08-30T05:35:00.000-05:00

Our mini-vacation this June was to Kansas City. David had to count Chapstick (seriously, we counted thousands of tubes) so we got to go too. While the last day of our trip seemed like a very long trip to Wal-Mart (I think we visited 9 when all was said and done) we did do some fun stuff before.

The first night we went and watched our very favorite baseball player. This is Ryan Fox, Sydney's dance teacher's husband. Sydney was thrilled to get to see him, and I think he might have felt the same. So, we had dinner watching the Kansas City T-Bones play - the all-American baseball meal of hotdogs and Coca-Cola, of course. I came very close to crying when they closed down the funnel cake stand in the fifth inning- we were saving that for when the kids needed a good distraction. Because of all the rain delays, we left early so we could get the kids to bed - 10:30 or 11 I think. Sydney told Mrs. Britney she could text her to let her know if Ryan won or not. We then drove to our hotel. Just an afterthought, if you can get a room for $42 dollars with tax, you should probably look elsewhere. That might have been the scariest night of my life.

The next day, we had breakfast at McDonald's, which had a huge playground and Wi-Fi. This was a work trip for David, so he spent several hours doing what he does best. Thankfully this McDonalds had lots to do, including computer stations with games for the kids.

Then we were off to Great Wolf Lodge. (David always poses like that by wolves.) After a long day of swimming the kids got to go to story time that night, and then we went to the room for television and dessert - hot chocolate and cookies. Yum!

But, first we had dinner at some really yummy BBQ place. The nachos were the best (and way more than we could eat) and Sydney managed to fall backwards out of the booth and spill her lemonade everywhere while Elle slept. We'll contribute both things to being tired from all of the swimming that day.

Which was followed by more swimming the next day - 6 or 7 hours I think?

And, what trip to Great Wolf Lodge would be complete with fuzzy critter souvenirs. Meet Ricky Montain (a raccoon) and Hedgehog (who is missing...if you find him, can you please return him??) They have probably been played with more than any toys we've bought in a while.

Sydney is already asking to go back....water park, anyone?

The Witch

2010-08-26T17:27:00.000-05:00

While Sydney was at dance camp they went to a swim party at one of the dancer's houses. As they were having dinner and the mom was helping serve, Sydney looked at her and said, "You don't really look like a witch to me." Everyone was a little puzzled (and probably wondering what I said behind people's backs) - and then she pointed them to a sign by the back door (probably meant for Halloween) that said, "Welcome - The Witch is In".

Sydneyism

2010-08-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

The other day I was being a little harder than normal on Sydney. She had to write a talk for church the next day and had managed to worm her way out of it all week. So, when she got up for the fifth time in five minutes to play piano, I raised my voice a little and told her to come right now or I was done helping her. Her response: "Mom, when you are pregnant, you sound just like Dad." I was quite glad to know she only considers me grumpy when I'm pregnant. As for David, I'm pretty sure there isn't a baby influencing him. :)

Dancing Queen, the sequel

2010-07-21T09:37:00.002-05:00

Elle has started dance - she loves it!

Her teacher is Miss Tracy, who has to be one of the most patient people I know.

She really likes the music loud.

This is her smile now...

News worthy?

2010-07-20T16:09:00.000-05:00

Sydney has been almost swimming by herself most of the summer, she just hasn't been very confident about it. She is great and quite the little fish in any water where she can touch, but get where she can't touch and she freaks out a bit. The other day we were swimming and somehow her Daddy managed to talk her into going off of the slide with him standing there, but not catching her. The water at the slide is 5 ft deep, and some days I can't touch there depending on the water level. She did it and swam to the side all by herself. I went over to her and said, "Sydney, I'm so proud of you - you are an official real swimmer now!" She says back, "Yeah, I know. I think I might even be on the news right now."

Elleism

2010-07-19T15:52:00.000-05:00

M: Elle, eat your dinner.

E: I a snake.

M: Ok, well, snake, eat your dinner.

E: I a snake. Snakes no eat burritos. Sorry!

The Anatomy of a Bug Fit

2010-07-14T19:12:00.000-05:00

First there is the whimper.

Then the flail.

Followed by boneless.

And then for the big finale: the screaming fit.

Gotta love two...

Sydneyism

2010-07-07T13:02:00.000-05:00

The other night we were leaving a friend's house and Sydney found a frog. She carried it to the car and I asked her to put him back in the grass. She did, but not until after giving him a kiss. She looked back at me and said, "Mom, I like to kiss frogs - you know, just in case."

My heart is breaking

2010-07-06T16:15:00.000-05:00

Translation: Sydney is gone for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

I dropped Sydney off at dance camp today. Her first overnight camp...two nights away from home. I worry that she'll forget to brush her teeth. Will she eat enough or will she be too excited? What if she doesn't shower the entire two and a half days she is there? Will her hair look like a rats nest when I pick her up on Thursday? What if she gets scared at night? Will she be embarrassed? Will I be driving to the studio at 3 a.m. to pick her up? Maybe even worse - what if she doesn't need me at all?

Two weeks ago, she said she wasn't staying because she was too little. Fine, I said. I'll pick you up at bedtime and bring you in time for breakfast. Then, Miss Jordan said she could sleep with her if she needed to - then she decided maybe she'd stay one night with Miss Jordan and one at home. Then somehow, one with Miss Jordan and one in her own room. Then, two nights in her own room. Something about those triple bunk beds is really enticing. Thankfully, when we got there, all of the top ones in her room were taken - she had to settle for a middle. Making a middle bunk bed with a pregnant belly....let us just call that interesting.

On the way to camp this morning she said she was nervous - when I got her bed made she said, "Ok, you can leave now." But, thankfully the girls in her room remembered that they didn't have a cd player...I took that as an excuse to take one back. And, it isn't like we won't see her some during camp. Elle starts dance tonight and then I'm chaperoning for the surprise night out tomorrow. It is just the thought of dropping my baby off at camp. Maybe we could rewind time back to when she was three instead of smiling this big on top of the bunk beds with all of her little buddies.

Oh, and she didn't need my help getting her shoes on today either.

I'm willing to bet that she is worn out come Thursday!

A Bug's world

2010-06-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

We love our little Elle. Here are some things we can't get enough of right now. First off, those toes! We get to look at them a lot, because she will barely keep her shoes on - there are usually three pair in the car at any given time.

This is a Wadybug.

And so is this.

About the black kind of wadybug - she loves to stomp them (or try...seems she can only catch the dead ones.) But, she has to put on Daddy's shoes first. No way is she going to risk getting bug juice on her little feet.

We don't get far without her blanket. And, it has to be THIS blanket, no substitutions allowed. Oh, and her two babies (which are both named Ella.)

And, we've almost gotten rid of that thing in her mouth - which Daddy decided would be a good idea to work on just before he left town for three days. Convenient. Without it, it is amazing what she can say. Some of her favorite phrases:

Me first.
I'll race you.
My turn.
I'm angry!
Pidney (Sydney), you bossy.
He/she/it being mean.
Mama, I need help. Come here, I show you.
You're stinky!
I poot.
I don't wike that!
I need the iphone.

Ask her what her name is and she'll tell you - Pidney. And how old is she? 5.

Cousin Numero Dos

2010-06-25T09:10:00.000-05:00

June is the month of babies! Meet cousin #2 - Ava. She was born last night around 6:15 - 7.1 lbs, 19 inches. So, basically my siblings both grown smaller babies than I do. (I also have to say that they should be the ones with the bigger babies...they're taller for Pete's sake!) Sydney said she thinks it is more fun to look at her heartbeat picture (translation, ultrasound) and Elle insists that this is baby Sam. We'll get it all straightened out soon! So, in just a few weeks, the girls have doubled their cousin count and are WAAAY excited.

Bedtime?

2010-06-21T21:27:00.000-05:00

The other night David and I were laying in bed talking, just a few minutes after putting the girls in bed. We heard thumping, which we assumed was Syd getting comfortable. (If she isn't tired enough to go right to sleep she spends a good 10 minutes kicking her wall while trying to get comfy.) I commented to David that Elle must be asleep, because we hadn't heard from her (she is a little less than sneaky when she gets out of bed.) Then, we heard some shuffling of feet down the hallway. We looked up, and there stood two giggling girls - in princess gowns. I asked, "Did you miss the memo that it's bedtime?" to which Sydney replied, "No silly, it's not bedtime, it's time for a play date!" And then there were four of us in our bed.

Sydneyism

2010-06-12T11:36:00.000-05:00

S: Do I have Dad's hair?

M: Yes.

S: Do I have the same part in my hair as him?

M: Yes.

S: Well, I have his boobies, too - they're small, not like yours.

Dead Bird Story

2010-06-11T08:32:00.000-05:00

Ok, here it is. The story with the now dead flying things. From the picture, it is like he already knows his fate.

Once upon a time, a sweet little momma bird built a nest in a tree. As it turns out, sweet little momma bird should really be named stupid little momma bird, because she forgot one important thing - you need to build your nest straight. Sure, while they were just eggs, life was good. But, my dear, eggs don’t have legs. Once they did, that is where the problems began. Sydney and her friends first discovered the nest because there was a baby bird laying on the ground. With some help, he found his way home. But, the next morning guess who had been exploring again? Yep, egg with legs was on the ground. So, back into the nest he went with his little feathered friends. The next morning, Sydney went over to the tree, expecting to find her fine feathered friend, and find him she did. Or at least parts of him...

The moral of this story, folks, is to always build your nest straight.

The end.

Summer Vacation

2010-06-10T08:21:00.001-05:00

Very soon, we're taking a little vacation. Sydney is so excited and can't wait for the day to get here. She thinks we should leave tomorrow. This is her "summer vacation" and in her mind, it is going to be something far beyond marvelous. Earlier this week, she decided to take it upon herself to pack her bag. And, as with most of her plans, she enlisted her sister. So, this morning I unpacked their bags (as we aren't really all that close to being ready to leave) and here is what I found.

Six baby dolls
Elle's favorite blanket
Five pairs of pajamas for each of them
Sunglasses
One Key

So, if you need help packing for your upcoming trip, just let us know!

We have a cousin!!

2010-06-08T08:38:00.000-05:00

This morning at 12:28 a.m. Samuel was born. Sydney tried to wait up, but went to sleep a little earlier. This morning Elle has been carrying my phone around showing dolls and anyone who will listen Baby Sam. Congrats Stacey and David!!

Some things in our yard

2010-06-04T09:29:00.000-05:00

On the off chance that we actually sell our house, I will bring this rose bush with me...

Our little friends from the pear tree (very dead friends now, but that is another story.)

Water Bug!

2010-06-03T09:07:00.000-05:00

Elle just finished her first round of swim lessons. She can kick, make bubbles with her mouth, and go underwater. Way to go Bug! We start back again the first Saturday in June.

Still Celebrating!

2010-06-02T09:19:00.000-05:00

For her real birthday party, we had to have giraffes. In the picture above, she had just woken up from her nap and walked into the decorated kitchen. Balloons, giraffes, CAKE?? She was excited and had to go outside to get "Pidney" and Papa to come and show them what she had found.

Singing "Happy to You" to herself.

And her favorite gift of the day, a dress! And, it wasn't just any dress, it had pockets!

Birthdays are fun!

2010-06-01T09:11:00.000-05:00

Elle turned two on April 29. Her party was delayed due to a baby shower and then a dance competition, so we did what we could to make the actual day special for her.

She woke up to her bedroom floor covered in balloons. Despite the picture, she was actually thrilled and spent most of the next couple days playing with her balloons.

We had breakfast at the doughnut shop. Nothing says birthday like chocolate milk and chocolate doughnuts.

Mom was on crutches, but some friends brought us dinner and a birthday cake. Really, doesn't she look happy? She squealed when we got out her plates "My pates, my pates!" I had taken her to Walmart the day before and let her pick out dinner plates (yellow), napkins (blue), and cake plates (hot pink.) Why settle for one color? She was thrilled and then really knew it was her "happy to you" when she got to use them.

And, her favorite gift of the night.....chapstick. She tried on every flavor, and with each new one would say, "not done yet!"

Last Competition of the Year...

2010-05-31T09:37:00.001-05:00

Sydney's last competition was in Little Rock. I've already posted the pictures of her dancing, but here are some fun ones we took.

Eating dinner at The Flying Burrito with some of her buddies. (Gracely, Syd in the back, Brielle, Taylor, Elle, and Michael)

Sydney got to get the Choreography award her teachers won for their production, "This is It." For the kids, it is a big deal to get to go pick up the "big" awards because you get to talk on the microphone.

Sorting through their ribbons...Elle needed to help too, of course.

And what do you do when there is a tornado warning and you are locked in? The Cuban Shuffle, of course.

And Elle didn't want to be left out of that one either.

Please help me!

2010-05-29T09:25:00.001-05:00

I'm 18 weeks along today, but this was a few weeks back. I'm a slacker. All I know is that I'll need a forklift to move me come October. Blech.

Juniorette!

2010-05-28T10:25:00.000-05:00

Auditions for company were a couple of weeks ago. When we took Sydney by to see the list, she found out that she was a Juniorette! Talk about excited! If you don't speak dance, what we're really saying is that she moved up to the next group with the older kids. She sang a little song (all day) that went something like, "I'm a junior, juniorette" (to the tune of paparazzi.) She has a lot of hard work ahead of her...

Sydneyism

2010-05-28T08:08:00.000-05:00

Syd wanted to tell a story in the car, and it started like this:

"A long, long time ago, before we were born and Pluto was still a planet..."

Dear Daddy....

2010-05-11T20:43:00.000-05:00

Age

2010-05-05T13:26:00.000-05:00

M: How old are you?

E: Fourteen.

M: Are you sure?

E: I fink so.

More competushion pictures.

2010-05-04T09:51:00.000-05:00

They rocked this weekend! We are so proud of them. Sydney's group, the Sweethearts, ended up with a 3rd, 5th, and 7th overall in their age group. Production won 1st, and lyrical won a second or third...I can't quite remember. Oh, and we must not forget about the best hair award for Cruella De Ville.

And this is when she was supposed to be quietly waiting back stage. Instead, she figured out Dad, Mom, and Elle were sitting in the front row.

Competushion

2010-04-30T06:58:00.000-05:00

What a year! This weekend officially ends Sydney's first season of competitive dance. She started practicing in July and has learned FIVE routines. Pretty impressive, in my book. And, I am pretty sure she could do each of them in her sleep. My favorite was when she was practicing her tap dance and yelling out at her teacher, Miss Jordan, that she (Miss Jordan) was a "Sweaty, sweaty girl" followed by evil laughing. This went on the entire routine, but she didn't miss a beat!

She has had a competition (or as Sydney says, competushion) in West Memphis, Bentonville, and now this weekend in Little Rock plus a few other random performances scattered in there as well. She will have a recital on June 5, and then move on to next year (which actually starts in May with auditions.) Here are some things we've learned this year:

We must watch too much reality TV. At her first competition she spent the day before crying because she was scared of the judges. We couldn't figure this one out, so we went to the competition the night before to check things out. Finally, she told Mrs. Brittney that she was afraid she was going to get kicked off and sent home and everyone else was going to get to stay. Hmmm....wonder where that came from? Once she figured out that the awards ceremony consisted of only receiving medals, trophies, and ribbons, and no mean comments from Simon, we were set.

Competitive dance isn't for daddy's. While mom is in the back, frantically changing costumes, hair styles, and makeup in sometimes less than 10 minutes, then dashing out to catch a routine before repeating the above, dad sits in the audience. And waits. Dad's are really only good for carrying bags in and out of a venue. But, we have learned that David can be somewhat of a good, patient waiter when he has to, and Sydney is thrilled that he is there.

There is NOTHING in the world like a five-year-old's adrenaline rush. Haven't experienced it? Ya' should. After her very first competition performance she came off shaking with excitement and said, "Mom, I feel pretty proud of myself!" I never want to forget the look on her face that day!

Stage fright and my darling Sydney do not co-exist. It is impossible. Example: She along with a couple hundred other kiddos were sitting on the stage for an awards ceremony. There were no less than 700 people present. Everyone is sitting calmly, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Sydney, who had not had enough dancing after starting at 6 a.m. (it was around 7 p.m.) stood up and started grooving by herself. With 700 people to cheer her on, she kept going and going. The MC finally came over and danced with her. When her group won an overall award for one of their performances, they all came up to the front (usually it is just one person) and got to say their name in the microphone. When the MC got done, he came back and did an interview with Syd and kept telling her what a great dancer she was and asked her to show him her moves again. Of course, she obliged.

Sydney is a star! She really shines up on the stage, and it isn't just a prejudicial Momma saying that - we are constantly stopped by complete strangers and told what a great job she did. One producer even told us she wanted to take Sydney home with her. You have to understand what a big deal this is - most competitions are sections of two to three hours of 2 minute performances, seconds apart. So, you do the math. And still, they remember our little Sydney. That little spunk she carries around in life definitely shows up on the stage.

And, so today we leave for the last performance of the year. I can't wait to see what Miss Hollywood pulls off this weekend!

Oh, how I feel like a lump

2010-04-16T16:00:00.000-05:00

So, I've heard 3rd babies are hard on your body - boy is that an understatement. No one told me I wouldn't be able to button my pants when I woke up today. Ouch.

On the positive side, I no longer feel the need to sleep 24/7 - more like 23/7, but hey, it's a start! So, pretty much I'm fat, I'm lazy, but I have started cooking again. (I don't think pizza is all that much of a treat around here now.) David made his first real pregnant food run: iced honeybun. Yummy. Worth 500 calories? Probably not.

I had my first real appointment the other day, and the baby has a heart rate of 160. By old wives' tales, that would be a girl. Again. Honestly, I don't care whether it is a boy or a girl, I was just thrilled to hear a heart beat. Although, if I end up with a boy, will someone please remind me not to put a bow in his hair?

Things we love about Elle

2010-04-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

1. She screams for her "Dagy" when Mommy puts her to bed.

2. She loves to cuddle.

3. She just might be the bossiest person on earth. She bosses Mom, Dad, and even her very bossy big sister.

4. She is somewhat of a perfectionist. There will be no bottle uncapped, no zipper un-zipped, and definitely no open doors if Elle is around.

5. She has a sixth sense for finding chocolate.

6.When she is going potty, she will tell you "go way! It 'tinky."

7. She will NOT touch a worm. She will, however, "remind" you to put it on the ground.

8. She loves her animals. You, however, should not touch her giraffes. Those things are sacred.

9. She loves her sister - she is great at kissing her "owies" and giving hugs to make sure she is ok.

10. She is a magnet if she happens to sleep in your bed. Put her, dead asleep, on the other side of the bed, she'll be glued to you in a matter of seconds.

Movin' and Shakin'

2010-04-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Elle's first day of her little dance class!

She can move.

She can shake.

Oh, baby!

Egg Hunt with our neighbors

2010-04-12T16:44:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned that we LOVE our neighbors. They are so fun!

School Easter Egg hunt

2010-04-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've learned my lesson. No more not attending any kind of celebration at school. You see, I missed the Valentine's day party (because I didn't know I was supposed to go) and spent two weeks making up for it. (Ever made 16+ dinosaur eggs?) Since then, I've attended the St. Patrick's Day party (only mom there) and the Easter Egg hunt (only mom AGAIN.) But, I have one happy little girl.

Sydney and her best friend Tia.

The class.

Lining up for the big egg hunt!

And, GO!

Dip, dip

2010-04-09T16:43:00.000-05:00

What would Easter be without the traditional dying of eggs. I'm sure somewhere back in Bibical times they did this, which is why we do it today right? Ok, maybe not, but we LOVE it!

whisk=less messes (well, sort of) and an enabled almost two year old.

And of course, there are always they dyed fingers.

Lots of excitement,

And a bunny cake. **Note, when using coconut for garnish, don't stand out in the wind. I'm just sayin,'

Easter Dresses!

2010-04-08T17:11:00.000-05:00

Rockstars.

Sunday best

2010-04-01T08:22:00.000-05:00

Surprise!

2010-03-30T21:59:00.001-05:00

And, for the record, this was as much of a surprise to Mom and Dad as it was the girls. Our babies are normally a lot of work to get here. So, we are thrilled, just a little shocked. Now, to figure out where to put a third kid...

Disney Magic

2010-03-23T11:41:00.000-05:00

Sydney and baby Simba.

Fighting off Caption Hook...

Dad had to give it a try, too.

But, he wasn't quite as brave as we thought.

And what is a trip to Disney without a little Tinkerbell in your hand.

Maybe that is a little weird.

And one of our favorites....Stitch!

He causes a lot of trouble, so Mom and Dad had to do a little scolding...

And then be a little silly.

We couldn't have balloons at our hotel (too dangerous for all of the animals) so these had to do.

And, we love Pinky Mouse, and his friend Minnie. As Elle always says, "Come here animals"

We had a blast...

See ya real soon! When Elle turns 5, to be exact. Three years and counting!

2010-03-17T14:37:00.000-05:00

S: Wipe my bottom, Mom.

M: Yuck, I don't want to wipe your bottom - that is gross. Do it yourself.

S: But you're a mom.

M: And?

S: That is your job.

M: Not my bottom.

S: My bottom is like your bottom. That's what happens when you're a mom.

She talks.

2010-02-26T05:50:00.000-06:00

Three hours at Walmart for new tires yielded a few trips to the bathroom. (What else are you going to do when you don't actually need to do any shopping?)

Every time -
E: Yay, Mommy. Good job. (little hands clapping)

Leaving the bathroom:

E: Mommy, go potty like big girl! Good job. Yay! (more hand clapping.)

Thanks, kid. Now, just in case there was ever any doubt, everyone in Walmart knows I just went to the bathroom.

A dream come true

2010-02-22T14:17:00.000-06:00

Finally, Sydney's dream came true - she got to meet Cinderella!

These pictures are all from the "Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade."

She did not like the evil step mother. See her pointing at the camera? She was actually pointing at Sydney because she was wearing a Cinderella dress. At another point in the park she actually called her "pathetic" in true evil step-mother-style.

Then, came Cinderella and Prince Charming. See Sydney dolling it up for them? She loved seeing them, no mater how many times we ran across them. Then, Cinderella blew her a kiss. And, of course, it is only proper etiquette to blow a kiss back, right?

I'm Feeling:

2010-02-20T16:04:00.001-06:00

Hungry. Very Hungry.

Now, I know what all of those starving actresses feel like. I totally get why they have no qualms dropping $500 on a pair of shoes - it is their attempt to forget about how great it would be just to have a piece of chocolate. Anyone have a spare $500 to donate to my cause?

Really, I'd just like a piece of pizza. The kind oozing with cheese and dripping with some greasy, fat bearing pepperoni. Mmm. Oh, and one mustn't forget the carb-loaded white flour crust. While I'm dreaming, make it a thick crust - might as well go all out at this point.

I think I might gag if I see another 2% cheese stick.

The almonds aren't too bad, they just would be much tastier sunk into a hunk of milk chocolate.

Oh, and romaine lettuce, how I LOATHE THEE. You and your sugar free jello friend really can take a hike. Wait, wait. Come back, I was only kidding. I can't shun you, too. I really might starve if it weren't for you. And really, I have no social life this week. How many social activities have I skipped this week just because I knew there would be sugar and carb loaded foods there?? Ahh, too many to count.

My skinny jeans better fit a little looser next week. I'm just sayin'.

Sydneyism

2010-02-20T08:18:00.001-06:00

M: Sydney, sit and finish your breakfast.
S: I'm drawing something alarming about dogs.

Her own style

2010-02-19T08:00:00.001-06:00

One thing that says it all about my Syd- her sense if style. She has an entire drawer full of matching jammies, yet she always chooses a top and bottom from different sets. Love her!

Big plans, gone awry.

2010-02-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

So, I ditching my plans of catching up on Christmas and all of the details in between. It is really NEVER going to happen, and I am just procrastinating on the things that are happening now. And I have lots of things to do, like taxes, and dance costumes, and playing with my girls, so we are just going to move forward. There. I said it, it is done. No more worrying about catching up. Plus, my Christmas pictures are lost somewhere in computer land. They are there, I'm just not sure where.

A long winter's nap...

2010-02-18T15:41:00.002-06:00

Sometimes they are so peaceful...

and so sweet. Notice the smiley face on her thumb? She drew that because her sister was crying and she wanted to make her happy.

Aren't they wonderful??

Chinese food

2010-02-18T08:15:00.000-06:00

At the Chinese restaurant drive through window:

S: Hey Mom, did you see that guys face? He looks like he is Chinese or something.

M: He is.

S: No, I mean he looks like he lives in China.

Sent from my iPhone

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T19:50:00.000-06:00

Now that she is five

2010-02-09T09:23:00.000-06:00

she can:

- put lids on things
- cut things (like vegetables)
- fix her own drink (she could only do this sometimes when she was four)
- draw things better
- dance better
- be a good friend

Just in case you were wondering exactly what a five year old can do.

You get the best of both worlds...

2010-02-08T09:23:00.000-06:00

Sydney's birthday was three days before we left for Disney, so originally we said no party this year (hello - isn't a birthday celebrated at Disney World a party in and of itself?) But, after much begging and pleading we agreed to a small non-party. Think of it as a glorified playdate with cake.

Two friends from dance came - Taylor and Gracely. They played house, they made necklaces, they watched "Hannah Montana the Movie," they trashed the bedroom. Oh, and then there was the pizza and cake, on Hannah Montana Plates, of course. And Miss Sydney requested a strawberry cake, with real strawberries.

What started out with a little harmless whipped cream on the nose...

Ended up as one lotiony mess.

They had a great time, but after 5.5 hours of playing, and a clock that said 11:30 p.m., they still weren't ready to call it quits.

What a fun non-party. Maybe we will repeat next year.

We are back

2010-01-26T21:38:00.000-06:00

and, boy howdy, it is cold. Oh, and my dear sweet husband is still in sunny Florida. I'm so happy for him (pretend that was in a SARCASTIC font.) After hearing about the possible snow/ice to come, I'm ready to jump back on a plane and head back. Seriously, if he gets "stuck" in Florida because of our weather, I will let him have it. Actually, I will never let him hear the end of it. He managed to be out of town during the whole ice storm ordeal last year. Convienient for him, but at least it was New Jersey. If we have another one and he misses it because he is in FLORIDA, so help me.

We've been....

2010-01-06T08:55:00.000-06:00

BUSY. So, our blog has taken a back seat for a bit, but I will get back to it soon. I have way too many fun things to share about the last month. But, right now, we are getting ready for my brother's wedding this weekend:

A fifth birthday for my little girl (seriously, FIVE???)

although we have made it clear that there will be no big birthday party this year, because three days after her birthday (and a pancake fundraiser for dance in between...Applebee's anyone??) we will be visiting the Happiest Place on Earth.

And, I'm a bit of an OCD planner. Eight sheet Excel workbook for Disney, anyone? So, yes. We are a bit BUSY. At the end of January, we will return to your regularly scheduled programing.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T20:10:00.003-06:00

Milk

2009-12-14T08:02:00.000-06:00

Driving home from the Christmas concert last night Sydney was feeling chatty. Well, let's be real, when is she not. Very profoundly she announces:

White milk comes from cows.

David: Then where does chocolate milk come from?

: :

pause

: :

S: Braum's.

Thanks in my world.

2009-11-26T08:55:00.000-06:00

I am thankful for girly squeals at a decibel too loud to process. Books. A husband that loves me for me, faults included. Girls that spend an abnormal amount of time in timeout some days- at least they are healthy enough to be getting into the mischief that landed them there in the first place. "Squeezes" from Bug. Pest control that keeps all of the other bugs out. Iphones. Love notes from Bear. My scrawny mutt. A husband who work hard to provide for us. Blogger. Date night. Parents who love me. Music. An extended family that does its best to love one another and get along. A warm, dirty house - at least it is lived in and enjoyed. Wonderful neighbors. Great grandparents who instilled a love for family years ago. A new kitchen table that doesn't need weekly repairs. Tastebuds. Friends that I can count on. Little voices singing in the car (and their interpretation of the lyrics.) Shoes. Shoes. Shoes. Girls that sleep with me when Daddy is out of town, even if it produces less than the required amount of sleep. Jalapeno peppers. All of my Primary kids at church - nothing like a million hugs on Sunday! Pilates. Johnny Bruscos. My wonderfully simple life.

A Camping we will go

2009-11-17T06:53:00.001-06:00

In early October we headed down to Petit Jean State Park to go camping. But, they were full except for the sites where you aren't allowed to build fires. Camping without a campfire, no thanks. So, we thought we'd go the next night. And it rained, and was going to rain all of the next evening as well, and well, we just aren't THAT kind of campers. So, we headed back up to Devil's Den where it was supposed to be a little less rainy. But, we had to hurry because the office closed at 5 p.m. and we needed to buy firewood. (Campfires are kind of essential to camping, right?) We pulled in at 4:50 and got a site (that we weren't allowed to pay for until the next day - whatever) but we did get our firewood! Oh, and we forgot our camera, so these are all iphone pics. Blah.

This is Sydney showing us how many marshmallows she had eaten. Yes, that is nine fingers she is holding up. Seriously, it makes me want to hurl just thinking about it.

Here are the valubale lessons we learned:

1. Eagle Scout does not equal qualified to camp with girls. Especially three single-handedly. I really think they should make that part of the requirements. Are you reading this BSA?? Way more valuable than how to start a fire with sticks.

2. Elle does not like to be dirty. We already knew that, but thought that just MAYBE she would be a little forgiving since we were camping and all. Nope, not so much. A girl has to have clean hands.

3. Don't leave mom in charge of keeping the fire going if it isn't really going. You will have to begin again.

4. Don't turn a four-year-old loose with a bag of marshmallows. What were we thinking?

5. Can opener. If you are going to make a dump cake, bring a can opener. Or, just go borrow one from the camp next to you.

Shhh...it's a secret

2009-11-14T08:24:00.001-06:00

Ok, so I'm not supposed to tell this, but it is too funny, and I'm sure I'll want to look back on it and laugh years from now, so here it goes.

We were at the gas station yesterday. The credit card machine wasn't working, so we had to go inside and stand in a really long line to pay. I felt a little hand tugging on me and then saw "the look" that means she is about to say something about someone right behind us. I cringe, because she hasn't really learned the art of whispering and I have no idea what is about to come out of that little mouth. She is a very honest child, heaven help us.

S: "Mom, that boy behind us is hot stuff."

M:"He is, is he?"

S:"Mmmm huh. " (Big goofy grin on that four year old face)

M: "What do you like about him, his spiky hair."

S: "I like his spiky hair, but mostly what makes him hot stuff is all of those tattoos."

I think my baby girl may be in line for lots of heart break in the future if that is her kind of guy. She stared at him all of the way out of the store in that dreamy, gushy, gaga kinda way.

**A little more of a description of this fella - he was about 19, and was more of a rocker than a thug. Still, not quite the nice guy I was hoping would attract my oldest daughter's atttention. Especially at FOUR! David said he holds me responsible for this.**

Anyone know where I can hire a FEMALE guard to stand outside of her window for the next fourteen years?

"Ook, Mom"

2009-11-13T08:07:00.000-06:00

Little Miss Elle is getting to be quite the handful. She is always into something and sitting quietly and playing just isn't her style.

The other day I walked into the kitchen where she was playing with the cabinets. Now, the only cabinets I have a child safety lock on are the ones under my sink where I keep my cleaning supplies. Yes, those were the cabinets she was playing with. She turned to me and said, "Ook, Mom" and proceeded to show me how to push the latch down and open the cabinet. GREAT!

We are Sass.

2009-11-10T08:20:00.001-06:00

Because a celebration was in order...

2009-11-09T14:27:00.000-06:00

for breakfast we had these

to celebrate that in January we will be spending a week with these guys

and hopefully seeing lots and lots of faces that look like this.

Right now, there is a lot of excitement in the Rieske household. I think Papa and Grandma Hill might be a little excited, too. (They are going with us!) Thank you Allegiant air for $29.99 flights - there is no way we could endure 24 hours in the car at this point in our lives.

And, our pumpkins.

2009-11-03T16:51:00.002-06:00

Next year, I think we'll stick with the good old, SIMPLE faces. Yep.

See, even blogger didn't want me to load them. They were THAT big of a pain.

Halloween

2009-11-03T16:09:00.004-06:00

Where to begin. It was such a busy week! We started out with our ward Trunk-or-Treat / chilli cook-off. And, I forgot my camera. No worries. I have about a million pictures from the rest of the week to make up for it. However, that was the one night Elle liked her Dumbo costume. It was cold outside and the costume was warm, which I think had a lot to do with it. We had fun, the kids ran around like crazy. Sydney, being the shy girl she is, chatted away into the microphone during the costume contest. I ended up having to take the microphone away from her and push her along off the stage so the parade could continue. My chilli didn't win this year. Obviously, something was wrong with the judge's taste buds. ;) We came home with loads of candy and could've ended this whole thing then and there. But, alas, this is just the beginning.

Sunday night we carved our pumpkins. That was quite the project!

I can't get the pictures to load, so I guess I've hit my limit. I'll post them separately.

Oh, and here is also where David LEAVES for the week. Seriously. Leaves during the crazy week-o-Halloween. tsk, tsk. But, we survived it - he just missed out on the fun. So, Tuesday Chay and I kicked off the week by making little marshmallow fondant ghosts for Sydney's party.

One of my FAVORITE parts of Halloween is an excuse to play with my food. Here is a sampling:

The next party was Sydney's dance party on Wednesday. She got dressed in her Gabriella costume (from High School Musical, in case you are out of the loop) and had her ghost marshmallows ready to go. When it was her turn to hand out her treats, she did so by doing an arabesque with each one. I must say that no one else did that. Nope, they just handed them out like normal people, but not my Sydney. Oh, and do you like our fanci-fied sucker holder? (aka Bisquick box.)

And what party at dance class would be complete without dancing. (Can you see how tiny she is compared to everyone else. She is jumping and they are all standing on the ground.)

So, with a good layer of sugar on her tummy, we go home and prepare for the next round of parties. Preschool and library. Preschool doesn't allowed homemade treats (Boo!) so we had to settle for taking paddle balls. Oh, and we had to work on a family project of decorating a paper pumpkin. Elle was tired, and David was gone. So, it became a Sydney and Mommy project. Of course it had to include sparkles (glitter) and buttons (a family joke - if you've seen Coraline, you might understand.) That little project was completed around 10 p.m. Here are the results along with "Gabriella". I must say our pumpkin was the most original. No one else bothered to glue a million buttons on - they just colored theirs - lame. But, I'm sure they also had their little ones tucked in bed at 8:30.

Elle and I stayed and watched the costume parade. Elle was fine watching until her sister came along. Then we had this.

And Elle did the second loop of the parade with them. And so did I. So, I have no pictures. But, here is Elle trying to get in on the class photo shoot.

Then, Elle and I were off to the Library for story time and costumes.

And here is the best photo you will get of that:

As it turns out, she decided she only liked wearing the shoe part of her costume. If you know my Elle, you will understand the shoe thing. She really likes most all shoes. So, the costume itself, as cute as it was, was very short-lived.

However, turns out we have a whole box of dress-up stuff. (Comes with being a girl momma) And, lo and behold, she found a "Melmo" costume. Yep, some old rough looking thing. And, that was the end of Dumbo.

Thursday night, David got home. (Insert angels singing)

Friday morning we went to the gym and the kids wore their Halloween costumes (three days in a row at this point) for Halloween activities while mom worked off some of that candy that kept jumping into my mouth. Later that day we went to David's office for some more trick-or-treating. Here is Elle as "Melmo" outside of his office (where my kids were given ridiculous amounts of candy which is not good for the whole Mom's diet thing.)

Now, my little 18 month old quickly learned the difference in M&M's and suckers. Here she is sifting through some loot.

She would dig her little paws through the bowl and come out with chocolate and the fruit flavored tootsie rolls (her favorite!) And let me tell you about how much those little paws can hold - three mini-candy bars at a time IN ONE HAND. The kid has skills.

This is the "Please give us more candy" look. They have it perfected.

Friday night we went to our fun Halloween party that I wrote about earlier. Here is a bigger picture of just us and a small glimpse of balloon butt. And, I'll have you know that not once did my husband tell me how beautiful I looked. The NERVE!

Ok, so now we are to the actual real day of Halloween. We started the day out with pumpkin shaped biscuits and chocolate gravy. (Hey, it's Halloween and I'm a realist - might as well start the day out with sugar, right?)

So, after three straight days of wearing the same Halloween costume (plus the party the Saturday before) Syd was tired of her costume. Oh, and it was white and already had been washed once, and needed it again. So, she decided she wanted to be something else. Back to that box of dress up, and, voila! A princess fairy. How original, right? But, I got to do some painting on her face which made the whole day a little more exciting for me (especially since I was kind of tired at this point.)

We had dinner with Nanny and Trick-or-Treated her house first.

Then, we were off to our own neighborhood. We visited our neighbor who always has a fun time scaring the kids (and giving their parents a good laugh.)

Played with the fun pumpkin flashlights.

Elle learned to say "TickoTeet"

Sydney even asked some people why they didn't decorate as good as the people next door. Mom wanted to go and hide next door.

We made it a block before both girls were cold and tired. Then, we went drove to some friends and had some yummy homemade doughnuts (which was the perfect excuse to stop trick-or-treating.) A good night, with two tired little girls. Thank goodness daylight savings came the next day. We needed it! So, goodbye to the holiday that allows me to play with my food. I'll miss you.

Too funny not to share

2009-11-02T07:38:00.002-06:00

Halloween Party

2009-10-31T08:07:00.001-05:00

Some friends of ours had a Halloween party last night. Yummy Mexican food for dinner, costumes were required, and then there was the epic Newlyweds game. (We came in third...not too shabby!)

The best part - sans kids! Not very often do we get together with this group of friends (all from church) minus the kids. It was fun, relaxing, and a little crazy. Thanks Crowells!! Check out some of the fun costumes.

**click on the picture if you want to see it better**

Costume Winners- Funniest: Speedo (aka Superheros)(Rigbys), Most Original: Papparazzi & Movie Star (Karlsven), Best Overall: GloStick People (Smith's)

David and I went as Publisher's clearing house. I don't think you get the full effect of our costume without the balloons tied to his butt.

We came in a close second on best overall. Yay! And the best part, I got to wear my jammies and he had to wear a suit. hehehe.

So long ago, but fun

2009-10-29T13:46:00.000-05:00

Now that it is cold and rainy, I'll reminiscence about the good ole' days of summer (aka do some more catch up.)

Our last little excursion was a trip to Branson in August. We've made quite a few day trips thanks to our Silver Dollar City season passes (thanks again Mom and Dad!) we got for Christmas last year. Now, this trip started out a little differently than I would have liked. David was already at Big Cedar for work, so it was up to me to get the two kids there by myself. We were later getting off than I would've liked, and I was, wel,l a little stressed. Thank goodness for books on CD - it kept them somewhat entertained on the way there so we could a settle down a bit.

Sydney cried when we had to drive over the water at the entrance to Big Cedar. She was SURE we were going to float away and that Mommy didn't know what she was doing and that we were all going to die. Drama.

Everything is so beautiful with all of the landscaping. Elle was really digging playing golf. This was when she first started really talking and kept saying "ball." We were so proud, but not as proud as she was of herself.

This was also the HARDEST mini-golf course I've ever played. All of the parents were walking around grumbling about how hard it was. The last hole, you shoot into a big fish. Sydney wasn't so sure about that part, so she just skipped it.

After golf, we went to grab lunch. We told Sydney she had two choices, Wendy's or Steak and Shake. She said, "I don't care, you choose," so we pulled out of the parking lot of Steak and Shake and into the one across the street at Wendy's. And here is where the tears began. First, she wouldn't get out of the car. So, we said fine and left her (because of course she really won't stay by herself, right?) We get all of the way to the door before we realized she was serious about not getting out of the car. So, Dad drags her out. She is informed that she doesn't have to eat, but she does have to come inside. And she screams, and the people inside look at us like were a bunch of crazies. We order, she is still screaming. Our meal went something like this: cry, spank, eat a bite of a fry, threaten, back outside, another spank, etc., etc. She finally ate two fries, still mad at Dad. What a great start to our vacation!

Next, it was time for some shopping for the new jeans David had promised me. Let me just say what dolls our children were NOT during that time. At this point, we're really promising ourselves that our next vacation will be booked for two. Then, we headed to Starbucks for an internet connection - we still hadn't booked a hotel and it was around 5 at this time. Oops.

Elle helped Daddy and enjoyed some hot chocolate. Sydney slept on a bench (never wake a sleeping dragon.) Finally, we found a hotel on Priceline. Then we were off to watch the water and fire show at Branson Landing.

It was pretty fun, but Sydney was still sleepy and spent the time laying on Daddy's shoulder.

Elle entertained the old people. Both girls were too scared to go play next to the water and fire.

Then we were off to dinner. After some bad navigation by yours truly, we drove several blocks to end up 1 block away from the Starbucks we started out at and found our pizza. Mr. G's Chicago Pizza was delicious! We will be visiting that place again. I'm actually hungry just thinking about it...

Finally we got to our hotel, or "pretend home" as we like to call it. It was a suite with a kitchen which was a plus. The next day Elle and I got up and went grocery shopping while David and Sydney slept in. We ate the continental breakfast downstairs and then spent some time swimming.

Then, we were off to spend the rest of the day at Silver Dollar City. No pictures from that (we have a million already and didn't want to have to worry about getting the camera wet.) But, we had fun, cried when we had to get off of the rides, you know, the usual.

All in all, a fun trip (if you forget about the first day!)

Dear jet plane:

2009-10-26T22:13:00.000-05:00

I love single parenting. Really. I am sure this is why I got MARRIED before I had children. I think my kids came equipped with a "Dad is gone sensor" and I am pretty sure I didn't order either of them that way. I wonder if that warranty is still in effect. 10 year/ 100,000 mile is what we signed up for, right?

So, dear jet plane, please bring my husband home soon.

Disclamier: They really are sometimes, (ok, occasionally) a tiny bit good - just not when Dad is gone.

Writing

2009-10-25T18:02:00.001-05:00

Among the many beauties of Sydney learning to write. Translated, this says, "Sydney (as in Sydney says) Elle is not being obedient." I guess we have a new way to tattle.